Hi Don
On (20 May 97) Don Dellmann wrote to Wes Leatherock...
 DD> Today, on these very same tracks, Amtrak's "Empire Builder" is limited
 DD> to 65 MPH.      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I surely don't know the route so forgive an iggorant furriner.
Very same tracks? Nah, don't think so. Tracks used to be maintained
sufficiently. Some of the "improvenments" in train operation have made 
atters
worse:
* axle hung traction motors, putting unsprung weight on the track.
* permissible axle loadings way up: bigger heavier vehicles, still on average
4 axles per car [worse still for the modern articulated cars!]
* Locos, and cars,  of uniform size and bogie centres and axle centres, 
iving
wave motion [corrugation] to track alignment. Remember the army marching 
ule:
break step on bridges!
* daily walk of track by fettler [gandy dancer??] is largely discarded so
defects are undiscovered until a track recorder car does a run.
* large scale residential developments with inadequate provision for proper
drainage- tracks undermined especially in hilly districts [NSW].
I guess there are a lot more can be added. Every unexplained derailment, puts
the heat on the perway maintenance chief, to add new speed restrictions.
Cheers....ALEC
... ....Made with the assistance of a digital writing instrument
--- PPoint 1.92
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